Electoral Commission

Fraser Kemp: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the total annual expenditure for the Electoral Commission was in each year for which figures are available.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that its outturn expenditure in each of the years concerned is as set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Outturn expenditure (£ million) 
		
		
			 2001–02 6.066 
			 2002–03 18.160 
			 2003–04 18.635 
			 2004–05 24.824 
			 2005–06 (1)23.974 
		
	
	(1)(estimated)

Schools

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of the requirement for school building repairs in the North eastern education and library board area.

Angela Smith: The chief executive of the north eastern education and library board (NEELB) has advised me that at 31 March 2005 there was a backlog of £37 million maintenance for the schools in the NEELB area. The Board anticipates that £1.5 million will be spent on response maintenance for the controlled and maintained schools in the 2005–06 financial year.

Schools

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children are eligible for free school meals in each board area within Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The requested information is as follows:
	
		Children entitled to free school meals(2) by Education and Library Board area in Northern Ireland, 2004–05
		
			  Pupils 
		
		
			 Belfast 16,393 
			 Western 16,079 
			 North Eastern 10,618 
			 South Eastern 9,438 
			 Southern 14,494 
			 Northern Ireland total 67,022 
		
	
	(2) For nursery pupils and children in voluntary and private pre-school centres, the number of children with 'a parent, or parents, in receipt of Income Support or Job Seeker's allowance' was used as a proxy for free school meal entitlement.
	Note:
	Figures relate to pupils at voluntary and private pre-school centres, nursery schools, primary schools and post-primary schools. Figures for pupils at special schools entitled to free school meals are not collected.

Paramilitaries

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the criminal activities of members and former members of Northern Ireland's paramilitary organisations.

Shaun Woodward: The IMC report published on 19 October provided a clear assessment of the current activities of paramilitary groups, up to the end of August.
	This report recognises the PIRA statement as 'very significant' and that
	"initial signs . . . are encouraging".

NIHCE Guidelines

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with whom he has held discussions in relation to extending National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines to Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: Proposals for applying NICE guidance in Northern Ireland were originally set out in the 2001 consultation document "Best Practice—Best Care". Responses to that consultation indicated widespread support for a link with NICE which would ensure application of the Institute's guidance in Northern Ireland where appropriate. My Department has been discussing the detail of these arrangements with NICE, the Department of Health in London, and local health and social services interests.

Alcohol-related A and E Admissions

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of admissions to each hospital accident and emergency department in Northern Ireland has been linked to alcohol in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: Information is not available on the number of attendances at hospital accident and emergency departments that are linked to alcohol. However, the number of admissions to hospital via an accident and emergency department is available.
	The table shows the percentage of total admissions to each hospital trust, via the accident and emergency department, that had an associated alcohol-related diagnosis for each of the last five years for which data are available.
	
		Percentage of all admissions(3) via accident and emergency that had an alcohol-related diagnosis
		
			 HSS Trust 2004–05 2003–04 2002–03 2001–02 2000/01 
		
		
			 Mater Informorum 3 2 3 2 0 
			 Belfast City 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Royal Group 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Green Park 1 1 1 1 1 
			 UC and HT 1 1 0 1 1 
			 Down Lisburn 9 3 1 4 1 
			 United 3 2 3 2 2 
			 Causeway 1 1 0 1 1 
			 Armagh and Dungannon 1 4 2 3 3 
			 Craigavon Group 1 2 1 2 1 
			 Newry and Mourne 2 2 1 1 2 
			 Altnagelvin 2 1 1 1 0 
			 Sperrin Lakeland 2 1 1 1 1 
			 Total 2 2 2 2 2 
		
	
	(3) Discharges and deaths are used as an approximation for admissions. It is possible that any individual could be admitted to hospital more than once in any year and will thus be counted more than once as an admission.
	Source:
	Hospital In-patients System.

Benefit Fraud

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to reduce benefit fraud in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: The Social Security Agency has a wide ranging approach to reducing fraud which is detailed in Programme Protection Plans which are in place in all operational units.
	These include:
	interventions on fresh claims;
	a programme of data matching benefit systems against other computer systems in organisations such as Inland Revenue, banks, credit agencies and utility companies to identify cases where incorrect information has been provided;
	where fraud does get into the system the agency has a specialist counter fraud unit with staff trained to professional standards to investigate suspected fraud and produce evidence to support appropriate action which can range from prosecution to cautions;
	an advertising campaign titled "It's a Rip-off" designed to make social security fraud socially unacceptable and deter people from committing fraud; and
	a robust approach to the prosecution of offenders which, this year, has seen 170 successful prosecutions.

Cataract Operations

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cataract operations were carried out by the NHS in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the current waiting time is for a cataract operation in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: Information on the number of cataract operations carried out in acute hospitals in Northern Ireland in each year from 2000–01 to 2004–05 (the latest year for which data is available) is shown in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Number of cataract operations 
		
		
			 2004–05 8,381 
			 2003–04 8,501 
			 2002–03 7,666 
			 2001–02 7,187 
			 2000–01 7,178 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital In-patient System
	Information on patients waiting is collected by time-band. The number of people waiting for a cataract operation in Northern Ireland, at 30 June 2005, is shown in the table as follows:
	
		
			 Months waiting Position at 30 June 2005 
		
		
			 0–2 1,498 
			 3–5 956 
			 6–8 481 
			 9–11 124 
			 12–14 117 
			 15–17 36 
			 18–20 5 
			 21–23 0 
			 24+ 5 
			 Total waiting 3,222 
		
	
	Source:
	PFA 211 Departmental Information Return

Correspondence

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the letter of 17 October ref: (COR403/2005) to the hon. Lady for North Down, on Kingsland School, when he will write to the hon. Lady with the update indicated in his letter.

Angela Smith: Due to the complex nature of this case it has been necessary for the Department to seek legal advice. A response will issue to the hon. Lady when the Department has considered the legal advice to be provided.

Citizens Advice Bureaux

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial aid has been granted by each council in Northern Ireland to citizens' advice bureaux in each year since 2001.

David Hanson: The primary source of funding for local voluntary advice services, including Citizens Advice Bureaux, is the Community Support Programme. This is a joint initiative involving the Department for Social Development (DSD) and District Councils. The following table outlines each Council's contribution to local advice services in 2004–05, this includes both Citizens Advice Bureaux and other independent advice providers. The DSD allocation is also included for information.
	Details of Council allocations to advice services from 2001–02 to 2003–04 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			£ 
			 Community support programme—funding to advice services in 2004–05 
			  Total Council DSD 
		
		
			 Antrim borough council 48,991 42,991 6,000 
			 Ards borough council 69,000 43,000 26,000 
			 Armagh city and district council 46,500 26,500 20,000 
			 Ballymena borough council 43,000 30,791 12,209 
			 Ballymoney borough council 16,000 11,927 4,073 
			 Banbridge district council 69,500 39,500 30,000 
			 Belfast city council 312,314 203,004 109,310 
			 Carrickfergus borough council 42,720 42,720 0 
			 Castlereagh borough council 31,500 22,050 9,450 
			 Coleraine borough council 63,652 52,154 11,498 
			 Cookstown district council 50,000 15,000 35,000 
			 Craigavon borough council 97,850 86,520 11,330 
			 Derry city council 175,000 175,000 0 
			 Down district council 145,399 120,148 25,251 
			 Dungannon district council 49,183 33,266 15,917 
			 Fermanagh district council 66,000 44,000 22,000 
			 Larne borough council 20,357 11,702 8,655 
			 Limavady borough council 26,500 18,500 8,000 
			 Lisburn City council 50,000 10,000 40,000 
			 Magherafelt district council 49,000 25,000 24,000 
			 Moyle district council 11,500 8,113 3,387 
			 Newry and Mourne district council 95,000 65,000 30,000 
			 Newtownabbey borough council 168,952 150,257 18,695 
			 North Down borough council 106,582 80,477 26,105 
			 Omagh district council 46,600 46,600 0 
			 Strabane district council 48,200 22,450 25,750 
			 Total 1,949,300 1,426,670 522,630

Citizens Advice Bureaux

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial assistance has been given to citizens' advice bureaux in Northern Ireland by Government departments in each year since 2001.

David Hanson: The primary source of funding for local voluntary advice services, including Citizens Advice Bureaux, is the Community Support Programme. This is a joint initiative involving the Department for Social Development (DSD) and District Councils. Other Government Departments provide specific funding to organisations to deliver advice services on issues which fall within their policy responsibility. The table outlines Government funding to Citizens Advice Bureaux in the financial years from 2001–02 to 2004–05.
	DSD has been leading on the development of a strategy for supporting delivery of voluntary advice services and this will be launched for consultation in December 2005.
	
		
			 Name of Department 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 Total 
		
		
			 Department for Social Development (DSD) (4) 984,199 993,551 1,195,329 1,190,206 4,363,285 
			 Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) — — — 69,000 69,000 
			 Total 984,199 993,551 1,195,329 1,259,206 4,432,285 
		
	
	(4) This includes the Department's contribution to the Community Support Programme, delivered through District Councils. Funding is provided to both Citizens Advice Bureaux and other independent providers. The DSD allocation to advice services from 2001–02 to 2003–04 is an estimation based on the recommended percentage output for advice services in this period.(5)
	(6) Review of the Districts' Community Services Programme (DSD February 2000).

Councils

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Protestants and (b) Roman Catholics were employed in each council in Northern Ireland in each of the past four years.

Angela Smith: An analysis of the employees of each district council, reflecting community background, is set out in the following table. Statistics for 2001, 2002 and 2003 have been taken from the Equality Commission's 2003 Monitoring Report. The 2004 figures have not yet been published.
	
		
			  2001 2002 
			  P(7) RC(8) ND(9) Total P(7) RC(8) ND(9) Total 
		
		
			 Antrim 177 70 7 254 191 78 9 278 
			 Ards 318 55 19 392 330 53 24 407 
			 Armagh 162 114 1 277 135 118 — 253 
			 Ballymena 211 49 14 274 215 52 14 281 
			 Ballymoney 95 19 11 125 96 16 21 133 
			 Banbridge 141 40 3 184 143 41 4 188 
			 Belfast 1,432 853 124 2,409 1,387 833 107 2,327 
			 Carrickfergus 158 11 20 189 162 14 21 197 
			 Castlereagh 398 29 58 485 413 31 63 507 
			 Coleraine 206 59 20 285 212 62 25 299 
			 Cookstown 93 91 3 187 101 90 3 194 
			 Craigavon 246 159 12 417 262 171 13 446 
			 Derry 119 395 12 526 135 426 10 571 
			 Down 74 189 24 287 74 211 21 306 
			 Dungannon 131 122 14 267 148 132 16 296 
			 Fermanagh 101 141 8 250 104 139 6 249 
			 Larne 112 39 5 156 113 39 7 159 
			 Limavady 78 51 7 136 80 54 8 142 
			 Lisburn 341 78 21 440 354 83 24 461 
			 Magherafelt 83 91 — 174 91 106 — 197 
			 Moyle 34 64 12 110 32 70 12 114 
			 Newry 51 336 5 392 50 342 5 397 
			 Newtownabbey 342 44 19 405 402 55 9 466 
			 North Down 356 36 39 431 371 43 39 453 
			 Omagh 125 258 29 412 126 256 37 419 
			 Strabane 56 100 2 158 58 99 2 159 
			 Total 5,640 3,493 489 9,622 5,785 3,614 500 9,899 
		
	
	
		
			  2003 
			  P(7) RC(8) ND(9) Total 
		
		
			 Antrim 190 82 8 280 
			 Ards 339 63 26 428 
			 Armagh 139 115 — 254 
			 Ballymena 231 52 15 298 
			 Ballymoney 90 19 12 121 
			 Banbridge 155 39 4 198 
			 Belfast 1,455 868 106 2,429 
			 Carrickfergus 172 13 21 206 
			 Castlereagh 464 43 51 558 
			 Coleraine 227 74 20 321 
			 Cookstown 112 92 3 207 
			 Craigavon 258 165 11 434 
			 Derry 137 443 12 592 
			 Down 76 219 19 314 
			 Dungannon 150 138 18 306 
			 Fermanagh 101 139 4 244 
			 Larne 110 39 5 154 
			 Limavady 80 53 7 140 
			 Lisburn 352 85 19 456 
			 Magherafelt 99 96 — 195 
			 Moyle 33 75 11 119 
			 Newry 56 343 6 405 
			 Newtownabbey 434 57 8 499 
			 North Down 404 48 45 497 
			 Omagh 136 270 34 440 
			 Strabane 59 107 3 169 
			 Total 6,059 3,737 468 10,264 
		
	
	(7) Protestant
	(8) Roman Catholic
	(9) Non-denominational

Departmental Refurbishment

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the companies to which his Department contracted out their construction and refurbishment work in each of the last three years; and what process his Department used to select each contractor.

Angela Smith: The award of contracts for all construction and refurbishment work by Northern Ireland Departments and their agencies is compliant with public procurement policy and EU Procurement Directives.
	The names of the companies and the procedure used in each contract, with a deminimis value of £25,000, are set out as follows.
	
		
			 Contractor Procurement method 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 
		
		
			 Adair Bros Competitive tender 
			 Annvale Construction Competitive tender 
			 Bi Electrical Services Competitive tender 
			 Bradley Construction Competitive tender 
			 Greenline NI Ltd. OGC framework 
			 Henry Bros. Magherafelt Ltd. x 2 Competitive tender 
			 Heron Brothers Competitive tender 
			 Irwin Metalcraft Single tender action 
			 J. and G. Engineering Competitive tender 
			 J. D. McGeown Ltd. Competitive tender 
			 J. H. Turkington and Sons Competitive tender 
			 Kone (NI) Ltd. Competitive tender 
			 Litton Group Competitive tender 
			 Lorne Electric Competitive tender 
			 Maurice Stevenson Ltd. Competitive tender 
			 O'Hare and McGovern x 3 Competitive tender 
			 Otis Ltd. Competitive tender 
			 Rotary Services Competitive tender 
			 Sharpe Mechanical Services x 2 Competitive tender 
			 T. and A. Kernoghan Competitive tender 
			 The McAvoy Grp. Competitive tender 
			 OGC Framework Competitive tender 
			 The Saville Group Ltd. Competitive tender 
			 Vaughan Engineering Competitive tender 
			 Vis Security Solutions Competitive tender 
			 WC Glazing Contractors Competitive tender 
			 William Dowling Competitive tender 
			   
			 April 2003—March 2004 
			 Bradley Construction Single action tender 
			 David Patton and Sons NI Competitive tender 
			 Gilbert-Ash NI Ltd. x 3 Competitive tender 
			 H. and J. Martin Ltd. x 3 Competitive tender 
			 Henry Bros. M'felt Ltd. Competitive tender 
			 Litton Group Competitive tender 
			 Mascott Construction Competitive tender 
			 McLaughlin and Harvey x 2 Competitive tender 
			 O'Hare and McGovern Competitive tender 
			 Portview Construction and McLaughlin and Harvey Competitive tender 
			 Radiocontact Ltd. Competitive tender 
			 Sharpe Mechanical Services Competitive tender 
			 The McAvoy Group Single action tender 
			 Vaughan Engineering x 3 Competitive tender 
			 Vis Security Solutions x 2 Competitive tender 
			   
			 April 2004—October 2005 
			 Cleary Contracting Competitive tender 
			 Fin Engineering Single tender action 
			 H. and J. Martin Ltd. x 4 Competitive tender 
			 Henry Bros. Competitive tender 
			 Radiocontact Competitive tender 
			 Sharpe Mechanical Services Single tender action 
			 Tectrol Ltd. Single tender action 
			 Vale Gardenhouses Ltd. Competitive tender

Diet

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people there are in Northern Ireland who have been identified as suffering from malnourishment.

Shaun Woodward: Information is not available on the number of people in Northern Ireland who have been identified as suffering from malnourishment. However, information is available on the number of admissions to hospital where malnourishment has been diagnosed.
	The following table provides figures on the number of admissions to hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of malnourishment for each of the last five years for which figures are available. It should be noted that any individual could have been admitted to hospital more than once over the course of a year or over a number of years and would therefore be counted more than once in the table.
	
		
			  Number of admissions(10) to hospital with malnourishment 
		
		
			 2004–05 427 
			 2003–04 411 
			 2002–03 446 
			 2001–02 473 
			 2000–01 403 
		
	
	(10) Discharges and deaths are used as an approximation for admissions.

Down Lisburn Health Trust

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the community care funding allocated to Down Lisburn Health Trust.

Shaun Woodward: The Department allocates resources to Health and Social Services Boards. It is then the responsibility of each board to determine how it will allocate these resources to local areas and to specific programmes. The Department has not assessed the situation for community care separately, but based on the latest information on planned expenditure for the population of the Down Lisburn locality as a proportion of Northern Ireland expenditure, the level of funding having adjusted for differences in need, is around the NI average.

Economic Development Strategy

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to introduce an economic development strategy for Northern Ireland; and what assessment he has made of regional disparities in (a) investment, (b) job creation and (c) wealth in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Delivering the Economic Vision will require concerted action from both the public and private sectors on our stated economic priorities—the four productivity drivers of innovation, skills, enterprise and infrastructure. For its part Government will produce a Regional Economic Strategy that will set out the policy framework for delivering the Economic Vision. The strategy will also form our response to Government policy to progress against targets on regionally balanced economic growth across the UK.
	The Northern Ireland strategy is currently being drafted by DFP in collaboration with the other Government departments. The first draft will shortly be circulated to ministers for consideration and will then issue for wider discussion.
	Regional economic disparities within the UK, and Northern Ireland, are being analysed and illustrated within the evolving strategy. Particular attention is been paid to those disparities that impact on the four productivity drivers and the employment rate. With this in mind the current activities of government are also being analysed to gauge the extent to which they effectively contribute to promoting the four productivity drivers.

Economic Inactivity

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been economically inactive in each year since 2000.

Angela Smith: The following table shows the number of people in NI classified as economically inactive in each July-September period since 2000. The table gives the number of economically inactive for both the population aged 16 and over and the population of working age.
	
		Economically inactive people in NI (2000–05)
		
			 Thousand 
			  Period  16 plus population Working age population (16–59/64)(11) 
		
		
			 July-September 2000 522 294 
			 July-September 2001 504 273 
			 July-September 2002 510 283 
			 July-September 2003 517 281 
			 July-September 2004 542 300 
			 July-September 2005 517 277 
		
	
	(11) Working age is taken as ages 16 to 59 for females and 16 to 64 for males.
	Source:
	NI Labour Force Survey.

Education and Library Boards

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were employed in each of the Education and Library Boards in each of the last three years.

Angela Smith: The information provided in the table below is in respect of staff employed in each of the five Education and Library Boards for the last three years. The figures are taken from the Education and Library Boards Annual Statistical Returns to the Department and relate to non-teaching school based and non-school based staff in each board. Figures are in respect of permanent and temporary staff in post at 30 September for each year.
	
		
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
			  Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time 
		
		
			 BELB 1,413 2,322 1,534 3,664 (12)2,434 (FTE) Included in FTE figure 
			 NEELB 1,602 5,161 1,643 4,699 1,461 4,981 
			 SEELB 1,503 4,237 1,558 4,603 1,539 5,185 
			 SELB 1,266 6,339 1,245 6,377 1,378 6,948 
			 WELB 1,796 5,273 1,753 4,938 1,949 5,167 
		
	
	(12) BELB moved to a new HR/payroll system on a phased basis from April 2004 and the board is unable to provide a corresponding staff in post figure for 2004–05. The figure the board has provided is an overall full-time-equivalent (FTE) figure, taken over the period April 2004 to March 2005.

Emergency Planning Budget

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the budget is for 2006–07 for emergency planning in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: As the estimated funding levels for emergency planning services by Government Departments and public bodies are contained within a wide range of budgets it is not possible to provide an aggregated figure for the overall position. The Northern Ireland civil contingencies framework, which is to be published shortly, requires, among other things, that
	"all organisations shall develop and maintain civil contingencies plans and other preparations in relation to their functions so that they can deliver those functions for the purpose of preventing an emergency, reducing, controlling or mitigating its effects or taking any other action necessary in relation to it".
	The framework also requires that organisations
	"shall ensure that appropriate funding and other resources are made available",
	but it is the responsibility of individual departments to determine what is appropriate funding in the light of risk assessments and having regard to other priorities.

Further Education

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils aged 16 to 18 years are being educated in further education colleges in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The following table details the number of pupils (aged 16–18) who are being educated in a further education college in NI for the academic year 2004–05.
	
		Students(13) in further education in Northern Ireland aged between 16 and 18 years in 2004–05
		
			 Age(14) Academic Year 2004–05 
		
		
			 16 9,764 
			 17 9,306 
			 18 7,139 
			 Total 16 to 18 year olds 26,209 
		
	
	(13) Data relates to a snapshot of students on 1 November of the relevant academic year.
	(14) Age is at 1 July at the beginning of the relevant academic year.
	Source:
	FESR snapshot

Hospital Staff (Attacks)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list serious personal attacks in the last three years on members of hospital staff at accident and emergency hospitals which led to a prison term for the assailant; if he will indicate the nature of the attack in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Hospital Staff (Attacks)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total costs have been in the last three years of repairs and replacement of equipment at each accident and emergency hospital in Northern Ireland due to attacks by members of the public.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Hospital Staff (Attacks)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the level of spending on security personnel has been at each accident and emergency department at hospitals in the Province in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many families in Northern Ireland were waiting for housing executive dwellings in each of the last five years; and what the trend in numbers on the housing list has been over the last 10 years.

David Hanson: The information is not available in the format requested. The tables detail the total waiting list for applicants for social housing in Northern Ireland over the last 10 years.
	The following tables demonstrate that the demand for social sector accommodation continues to rise steadily.
	
		Total number of households on the waiting list for social housing 1995–2000 (all figures refer to the end of the financial year).
		
			  Total number of households Urgent housing need(15) 
		
		
			 1996 21,960 11,148 
			 1997 22,276 11,895 
			 1998 22,691 11,510 
			 1999 23,193 11,734 
			 2000 23,084 11,372 
		
	
	(15) Prior To November 2000 urgent need was defined as 'urgent housing need' i.e. priority 'A' group cases plus 'B' cases with 30 or more points.
	
		Total number of households on the waiting list for social housing 2001–05 (all figures refer to the end of the financial year).
		
			  Total number of households Housing stress(16) 
		
		
			 2001 21,635 10,187 
			 2002 25,903 12,449 
			 2003 26,248 13,042 
			 2004 27,515 14,152 
			 2005 29,608 15,527 
		
	
	(16) From November 2000 the definition changed from 'urgent housing need' to 'housing stress' i.e. households with 30 or more points.

Personal Injury Claims

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much compensation has been paid in personal injury claims by members of the public against the Department for Regional Development in Northern Ireland in each of the past three years.

Shaun Woodward: The following table sets out the total compensation paid by the Department for Regional Development in respect of public liability personal injury claims by members of the public in each of the last three years.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Amount 
		
		
			 2004–05 1,760,490 
			 2003–04 2,142,323 
			 2002–03 2,504,607

Pigs

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pigs were reared on Northern Ireland farms in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The number of clean finished pigs reared on Northern Ireland farms in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of pigs reared 
		
		
			 2000 884,400 
			 2001 922,800 
			 2002 931,700 
			 2003 973,200 
			 2004 (17)879,100 
		
	
	(17) Provisional.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the deviation from community balance was in the composition of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: In light of the deviation from community balance that was present in the composition of the RUC, the Report of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland recommended Police Regular Officers be recruited at an equal ratio of Catholics to non-Catholics.
	They advised that this recruitment profile
	"over a 10 year period . . . reflects the demographic breakdown of people now in their twenties, or who will reach the age of recruitment over that period".
	The first intake under these temporary 50:50 provisions was in November 2001. As a result, there has been a marked decrease in the deviation from community balance in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, due an increasing proportion of Catholic officers.
	I am advised that the community background of RUC and PSNI Regular Officers, in each of the last 10 years has been as follows:
	
		
			Percentage 
			  Protestant Catholic Not determined 
		
		
			 1 January:
			 1996 88.98 7.96 3.06 
			 1997 88.67 8.16 3.17 
			 1998 88.52 8.24 3.24 
			 1999 88.32 8.33 3.35 
			 2000 88.27 8.37 3.36 
			 2001 88.16 8.48 3.36 
			 2002 87.67 8.86 3.47 
			 2003 85.04 11.68 3.28 
			 2004 83.01 13.91 3.08 
			 2005 80.38 16.87 2.75 
			 
			 8 November:
			 2005 78.46 18.88 2.66

Prisons

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the percentage of inmates in prisons in Northern Ireland who will be granted leave for Christmas.

Shaun Woodward: The figures provided in the table show the percentage of inmates that are eligible to apply for home leave this Christmas. It is not possible at this stage to estimate the percentage of prisoners that will be granted leave for this purpose, as each application is subject to a satisfactory risk assessment which takes some time to complete. The decision to grant the Christmas leave rests with the Governor of each establishment. As HMP Magilligan holds prisoners with shorter sentences or those in the latter stages of their sentences, it has proportionately more prisoners eligible to apply for home leave at Christmas.
	
		
			 Establishment Number of prisoners eligible to apply for home leave at Christmas Total number of prisoners at Establishment(18) Percentage of prisoners eligible to apply for home leave at Christmas 
		
		
			 Maghaberry 56 719 7.78 
			 Magilligan 118 406 29.06 
			 Hydebank Wood (including females) 24 223 10.76 
			 Total 198 1,348 14.69 
		
	
	(18) The figures in this column (at 17 November) include 'all' prisoners, viz, remands, determinate sentence and life sentence.

Restorative Justice

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of community restorative justice projects in Northern Ireland in dealing with cases of (a) alleged rape and (b) alleged domestic violence.

David Hanson: The Government has recognised that community-based restorative justice programmes can have a part to play in helping to secure a normal society and is willing, in principle, to support their involvement with low level criminal cases. We would not consider any sexual or domestic violence offences to be low level, and the guidelines currently being formulated do not therefore envisage that any such offence will be referred to community-based schemes.

Road Traffic Accidents

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal road traffic accidents have occurred in each of the last five years on the (i) Knock Dual Carriage Way, (ii) Comber road and (iii) Upper Newtownards road.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not readily accessible in the format specified and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The available figures are contained in the following table and show the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents in East Belfast District Command Unit in each of the last five years.
	
		Number of injury road traffic collisions in East Belfast DCU: 2000–04
		
			  Fatal collision Non fatal collision(19) Total collisions 
		
		
			 2000 3 354 357 
			 2001 3 351 354 
			 2002 4 305 309 
			 2003 1 238 239 
			 2004 — 255 255 
			 Total 11 1,503 1,514 
		
	
	(19) Non-injury collisions are not included.

Soccer Funding

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has given to soccer in each of the last three years in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: The following exchequer funding has been given to soccer in each of the last three years by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI).
	
		SCNI exchequer funding
		
			  £ 
			  Soccer 
		
		
			 2002–03 1,931,575 
			 2003–04 69,624 
			 2004–05 1,053,092 
		
	
	Note:
	Includes funding via the Safe Sports Ground Programme.
	In addition the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP), Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment (DETI), Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM), Department of Social Development (DSD) and Department of Education (DE).
	
		DFP funding
		
			   £ 
			  Soccer Numerous Sports(20) 
		
		
			 2002–03 10,800 — 
			 2003–04 565,041 15,000 
			 2004–05 57,618 61,227 
		
	
	(20) Includes peace II funding to projects involving soccer and other type of sports.
	
		DETI funding
		
			  £ 
			  Soccer 
		
		
			 2002–03 13,629 
			 2003–04 57,332 
			 2004–05 5,319 
		
	
	
		OFMDFM funding
		
			  £ 
			  Soccer 
		
		
			 2002–03 18,188.90 
			 2003–04 62,234.20 
			 2004–05 31,277.80 
		
	
	
		DSD funding
		
			  £ 
			  Soccer 
		
		
			 2002–03 14,688.66 
			 2003–04 177,039.04 
			 2004–05 (21)420,814.60 
		
	
	(21) This figure includes a grant for £260,000.00 towards a multi-sports facility where soccer is the main game played on the pitch but it also has a facility available where a variety of other sports can be played.
	
		DE funding
		
			  £ 
			  Soccer 
		
		
			 2002–03 — 
			 2003–04 5,436.25 
			 2004–05 4,311

Soccer Funding

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will detail the amount of funding his Department has given to Gaelic football in each of the last three years in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: The following exchequer funding has been given to Gaelic Games, including Gaelic Football in each of the last three years by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI).
	
		SCNI exchequer funding
		
			  £ 
			  Gaelic(22)(23) 
		
		
			 2002–03 557,042 
			 2003–04 207,596 
			 2004–05 208,211 
		
	
	(22) Includes funding via the Safe Sports Ground Programme.
	(23) Gaelic includes Gaelic Football, Hurling and other Gaelic Athletic Association Games.
	In addition, the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP), Department of Social Development (DSD) and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), have provided the following funding:
	
		DFP funding
		
			  £ 
			  Gaelic Numerous sports(24) 
		
		
			 2002–03 — — 
			 2003–04 55,000 48,434 
			 2004–05 15,000 — 
		
	
	(24) Includes peace II funding to projects involving Gaelic football and other sports.
	
		DSD funding
		
			  £ 
			  Gaelic 
		
		
			 2002–03 — 
			 2003–04 998 
			 2004–05 60,885 
		
	
	
		DARD funding
		
			  £ 
			  Gaelic 
		
		
			 2002–03 5,594 
			 2003–04 — 
			 2004–05 —

South Down (Secondary Roads)

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he is taking to improve secondary roads in South Down to improve access to the Belfast to Dublin corridor; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The chief executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin to Mr. Eddie McGrady, dated 21 November 2005
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding what action is being taken to improve secondary roads in South Down to improve access to the Belfast/Dublin corridor.
	I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
	As you will be aware, the most direct routes from Downpatrick to the Belfast/Dublin corridor (A1) are the A25 through Rathfriland and latterly the A25/B8 through Hilltown.
	On the A25 we have recently completed a carriageway improvement scheme at Kilcoo at a cost of £220,000, with major resurfacing work at Knocksticken, Ballykilbeg, Loughislandreavey, Ballybannon to Priest's Road, and Priest's Road to Aughlisnafin at a cost of £547,000.
	We also have plans to carry out a number of improvement schemes on these routes including:
	junction improvements on the A25 Dublin Road at Burrenreagh Road near Castlewellan at an estimated cost of £40,000 (05/06);
	carriageway realignment on the B8 Hilltown Road, Newry, at an estimated cost of £400,000 (06/07);
	carriageway realignment and visibility improvement on the A25 Burrenbridge Road at an estimated cost of £100,000 (06/07) ;and
	carriageway resurfacing at Windsor Hill, Newry, at an estimated cost of £65,000 (06/07).
	In relation to other "A" and "B" Class roads in the South Down area, we have recently completed, or plan to complete the following improvements during the current year at a cost of some £1,200,000:
	carriageway realignment on the B2 at Caughey's Road, Dromore;
	junction improvements and footway provision on the B10 at Mays Corner;
	carriageway realignment and footway provision on the A2 Newry Road, Kilkeel at Mourne Grange;
	carriageway realignment and footway provision on the A2 at Ballindoalty Corner between Rostrevor and Kilkeel;.
	carriageway realignment on the B2 Annacloy Road, Downpatrick;
	carriageway realignment and junction improvement on the B2 at Ballygowan Road;
	junction improvement on the B3 at Ballinafoy Road Rathfriland;
	carriageway realignment on the B7 Dromara Road at Ballyroney;
	carriageway realignment and junction improvement on the B10 Derrylough Road, Banbridge;
	junction improvement on the B2 Lurgan Road at Ballynaris Hill, Dromore;
	junction improvement and footway provision at Greenpark Road, Rostrevor; and
	junction improvement on the B27 Sandbank Road, Hilltown.
	Finally, the following improvement schemes are currently programmed for future financial years at a cost of some £785,000:
	junction improvement on the B2 at Magheraloan Road, Annacloy;
	junction improvement on the B10 at Lisnaree Road, Banbridge; and
	carriageway realignment on the A50 Castlewellan Road at Corbet Lough;
	I hope this information is helpful.

Sports Funding

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding his Department has provided for (a) hockey, (b) cricket and (c) rugby in each of the last three years in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: The following exchequer funding has been given to hockey, cricket and rugby in each of the last three years provided by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI).
	
		SCNI Exchequer funding
		
			£ 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Hockey 51,150 112,393 120,605 
			 Cricket 26,330 61,814 65,246 
			 Rugby(25) 122,035 101,825 96,728 
		
	
	(25) Includes funding via the Safe Sports Ground Programme.
	In addition, the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP), Department of Education (DE), Department of Social Development (DSD) and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), have provided the following:
	
		DFP funding
		
			£ 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Hockey — — 7,245 
			 Cricket — — — 
			 Rugby — 88,478 7,200 
			 Numerous sports(26) — 48,434 — 
		
	
	(26) Includes Peace II funding to projects involving more than one of the listed sports.
	
		DE funding
		
			  £ 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Hockey — — 1,441 
			 Cricket — — 1,132 
			 Rugby — — — 
		
	
	
		DSD funding
		
			£ 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Hockey — — 211 
			 Cricket — — — 
			 Rugby 9,000 — — 
		
	
	
		DARD funding
		
			£ 
			  2002–03 2003/04 2004/05 
		
		
			 Hockey — — — 
			 Cricket — — — 
			 Rugby — — 58

Stephens Inquiry

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the total cost of the Stephens Inquiry into allegations of police collusion in Northern Ireland; and what assessment he has made of the progress made by the inquiry to date.

Peter Hain: Sir John Stevens' report is to the Chief Constable of the PSNI. The Stevens investigation has thus far been funded by the PSNI and is therefore a matter for the Chief Constable.
	Specific criminal investigations continue and the criminal justice process must be allowed to take its course.

Unemployment (South Antrim)

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes in the level of unemployment there have been in South Antrim constituency in each year since 2001.

Angela Smith: Unemployment levels from the claimant count in the South Antrim parliamentary constituency in each of the years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 (to October), together with their yearly change are provided in the following table.
	
		South Antrim
		
			  Unemployment (annual averages except for 2005)  Change from previous year 
		
		
			 2001 1,427 -110 
			 2002 1,505 78 
			 2003 1,398 -107 
			 2004 1,111 -287 
			 2005(27) 1,086 — 
		
	
	(27) January-October

Waiting Times

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his letter of 31 October, what definition he uses of an unreasonable length of time he uses in respect of waiting times for (a) an out-patient appointment and (b) in-patient or day-case treatment in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: I have stated on numerous occasions that I view current hospital waiting times in Northern Ireland as completely unacceptable.
	The aim of the elective care reform programme I announced in July is to develop fully scheduled services within which patients can access the care they require within the time scale that their clinical condition dictates.
	The first steps of the reform programme to address in-patient and day-case waiting times are now under way, and I will announce detailed proposals to tackle out-patient waiting times next month.

Water Consumption

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what opportunities he has identified in Northern Ireland for significant water savings by consumers.

Shaun Woodward: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan to Dr. William McCrea, dated 23 November 2005
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about what opportunities he has identified by consumers in Northern Ireland for significant water savings (30692). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
	Water Service's second Water Efficiency Plan, which was published on 12 January 2004, set out a wide range of measures aimed at reducing demand for water through the effective use of water by both Water Service and its customers. One of the key aspects of the plan is a reduction in the level of leakage. A significant programme of investment has resulted in leakage being reduced by over 100 megalitres per day (Ml/d) from 291 Ml/d in March 2002 to the current level of 190 Ml/d at September 2005. In achieving this level of reduction Water Service has been actively encouraging customers to play their part in eliminating leakage within private property. It is estimated that some 20 per cent. of total leakage occurs within the customers' pipework, therefore customers have an important contribution to make to this aim. In 2004, the Water Service introduced the "Leakline" free telephone number (08000 282011) to encourage customers to report any visible leaks.
	Water Service continues to raise awareness of the need for water efficiency by providing practical advice on the actions that the customers can take. These include carrying out water efficiency audits and the installation of Hippo bags in larger toilet cisterns to reduce the amount of water used. Water efficiency is also promoted through the distribution of leaflets to customers, through public displays, exhibitions and presentations identifying how water can be used wisely in the home, school, business and agricultural premises Over the past few years, water efficiency leaflets have been issued to every property in Northern Ireland. Water Service has a double decker bus, known as the Waterbus, which contains an exhibition on water and sewerage services. The Waterbus visits schools to make children aware of the water cycle, water sources, water treatment, the efficient use of water and wastewater treatment, through a number of displays, models, experiments, video shows and computers.
	Water Service's annual customer survey contains a number of the questions relating to water efficiency and in recent years the responses have indicated an increasing awareness of water efficiency among customers.

Development Instrument

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Development Instrument will provide funding for education.

Gareth Thomas: The Development Co-operation and Economic Co-operation Instrument (DCECI) will provide development funding for all countries currently covered by the Asia, Latin America and parts of the TACIS (Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States) Regulations. The Commission has also suggested it covers funding for the ACP countries (Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific). Likewise, it will provide funding for thematic programmes in specific sectors of global or multi-country nature, which cannot be covered by normal country or regional programmes.
	Country and regional programmes establish the focus of Community assistance in specific countries and regions. This will be based on partner Governments' specific needs and development plans. It will also reflect the added value of Community aid in particular countries and sectors, Funding of activities in the field of education will depend on these factors. From experience, we know that Community country programmes do fund activities in the field of education.
	Globally applicable or cross-cutting education initiatives may also fall under the thematic funding banner. This is likely to remain the case for the new batch of thematic programmes to be launched under the next Financial Perspectives (2007–13).

Disaster Relief

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of Government funding in respect of (a) the tsunami, (b) the Pakistan earthquake, (c) the situation in Niger and (d) the situation in Southern Africa has been directed to (i) the International Movement of the Red Cross, (ii) Red Crescent, (iii) International Red Cross/Crescent Federation, (iv) all non-government organisations and (v) United Nation agencies.

Gareth Thomas: The percentage of Government funding provided in response to the Asian tsunami, Pakistan earthquake, Niger and Southern Africa humanitarian crises which has been directed to the International Movement of the Red Cross, Red Crescent, International Red Cross/Crescent Federation, non-government organisations and United Nations agencies is set out in the following table. Where relevant, funding for humanitarian relief and reconstruction has been separately recorded. The 'Total UK Government funding' figures shown refer to funding commitments given by DFID in response to current (and ongoing) crises.
	
		
			  Percentage of which was channelled to: 
			 Event/Type of assistance Total UK Government funding (£ million) International Movement of the Red Cross Red Crescent International Red Cross/Crescent Federation All non-government organisations United Nations agencies 
		
		
			 Asian tsunami(28)   
			 Humanitarian relief 75.00 2 — 3 16 50 
			 Reconstruction 65.00 — — — — 8 
			
			 Pakistan earthquake   
			 Humanitarian relief 33.00 6 — 4 27 29 
			
			 Reconstruction 70.00 (29)— (29)— (29)— (29)— (29)— 
			
			 Niger   
			 Humanitarian relief 3.25 — — — 42 58 
			
			 Southern Africa(30)   
			 Humanitarian relief 37.23 1 — — 22 35 
		
	
	(28) Tsunami figures cover contributions to Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, and Maldives. Of the £65.00 million for reconstruction £41.40 million has been committed; £25.60 million to the multi Donor Trust Fund with further amounts pledged to the Decentralisation Support Facility, Transparency International and World Bank. The remaining funds are yet to be programmed.
	(29) Announced 19 November, not yet programmed by agency.
	(30) Southern Africa covers contributions to Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
	
		Background figures to table
		
			 £000 
			   of which: 
			 Event Total UK Government funding International Movement of the Red Cross Red Crescent International Red Cross/Crescent Federation All non- government organisations United Nations agencies 
		
		
			 Asian tsunami   
			 Humanitarian 75,000,000 1,500,000 — 2,000,000 11,845,959 37,808,001 
			 Reconstruction 65,000,000 — — — — 5,000,000 
			
			 Pakistan earthquake   
			 Humanitarian 33,000,000 2,078,250 — 1,500,000 9,083,784 9,438,250 
			 Reconstruction 70,000,000 (31)— — — — — 
			
			 Niger 3,250,000 — — — 1,367,000 1,863,000 
			
			 Southern Africa 37,230,000 610,389 (Zimbabwe) — — 1,041,925 (Zambia) 130,000 (Malawi) 
			  7,365,844 (Zimbabwe) 837,000 (Mozambique) 
			   350,000 (Lesotho) 
			   300,000 (Swaziland) 
			   425,575 (Zambia) 
			   11,102,350 (Zimbabwe) 
		
	
	(31) Still to be programmed
	Other funds provided by UK Government are disbursed through the DFID programme or given directly to the partner Government.

Sugar

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made in developing economic action plans to help Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean affected by changes to the EU's sugar regime.

Gareth Thomas: It is very important that Commonwealth Caribbean countries produce appropriately costed sugar transition action plans as soon as possible in order to be eligible for European Union (EU) transitional assistance in 2006, and so that the European Commission (EC) can make realistic and appropriate plans for further financing from 2007 onwards.
	DFID has been closely engaged with ensuring that the impact of sugar reform is fully considered for a number of years. In 2003 and 2004, DFID-funded reports were produced on the impact of reform on the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Sugar Protocol countries, the impact on the Least Developed Countries and options for transitional assistance. These reports were made public, and have enabled an informed debate on the developmental aspects of sugar reform to take place.
	In March 2005, DFID funded a workshop in Trinidad which initiated the process of developing sugar transition action plans in the Caribbean. Since July, as President of the EU, the UK has been working with the EC, other EU member states and the European Parliament to secure agreement on the draft regulation produced by the EC in June 2005 for the timely delivery of adequate transitional assistance to the Sugar Protocol countries.
	DFID is working alongside the EC Delegations in the Caribbean to support development of sugar transition action plans by the six Commonwealth Caribbean sugar producing countries: Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago.
	The Government of Barbados has asked for DFID's support for the preparation of its action plan on the basis of its forthcoming National Strategic Plan that will inform the future direction of the sugar industry. Consultancy work on this should begin shortly and a draft report should be prepared by mid-January 2006.
	Belize has already developed a strategy for the reform of its sugar industry and initiated discussion of a detailed action plan. The Government of Belize recently asked DFID's support for its preparation and is finalising the scope of the required advice. We are encouraging the Government to take the opportunity of the changes necessitated by the sugar reform to look more widely at the macro-economic challenges facing the country.
	The Government of Guyana's working group is preparing the draft action plan, with DFID-funded consultants identified to help put this into the required EC format. To date, given the Government's unwillingness to commit itself publicly to producing an action plan, there remains a risk that Guyana will not be prepared to submit its plan by the end of the year.
	In Jamaica, Prime Minister Patterson said in a statement to Parliament in October that the cane industry will be centred on three products raw sugar for export and domestic markets, molasses for use in rum production, and ethanol. He stated that the Government was at an advanced stage of development of the Jamaica action plan and intended to submit this to the EC ahead of schedule. He specifically recognised the assistance that DFID has offered to provide to help design measures to mitigate the social impact of the sugar reforms.
	Due to the high debt to national income burden and its impact on the labour force, the adjustment process in St. Kitts and Nevis will be particularly challenging. To assist, DFID is leading the co-ordination of donor support to St. Kitts and supporting three key pieces of work to inform the Government's preparation of its action plan: consultants to advise on the corporate restructuring of the Sugar Manufacturing Company, a land resource analysis to identify feasible options for the use of the sugar lands and a study to help identify support for those affected adversely by the sugar transition. The Commission's team of consultants working on the preparation of St. Kitts adaptation strategy aims to complete its assignment in December, drawing on these DFID supported reports.
	In Trinidad and Tobago, DFID, in close liaison with the EC Delegation, is financing a consultancy to help put the Government prepare its action plan. The consultants facilitated the first consultation on 26 October that brought together representatives from farmers' associations, the sugar industry, the Government, and development partners. The consultants are due to deliver their report by the second week of December.

Date-based Export Scheme

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the European Commission regarding the lifting of the date-based export scheme; and when the scheme will be lifted.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 22 November 2005
	Defra officials and Ministers have maintained regular contacts with the European Commission to seek the end of the beef .export ban at the earliest possible time.
	EU Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) inspectors visited the UK in June 2005 to assess the state of our BSE controls. Their report was published on 28 September 2005 and was discussed at a meeting of the Commission's TSE Working Group on the same day. The Commission issued a press release stating that the pre-conditions for discussions to begin with member states on lifting the embargo have been met.
	The next step is for the Commission to submit to member states a proposal to lift the ban on the export from the UK of cattle, beef and other bovine products and we expect discussions with member states to commence this month. Due to the need to observe EU legal procedures and to gain member states' agreement, it is unlikely that legislation to lift the ban will come into force until early 2006. The Government is continuing to work in Brussels to ensure that the export ban is lifted as soon as possible.
	If EU legislation to lift the export ban is adopted, we will need to amend our existing domestic legislation, the Bovines and Bovine Products (Trade) Regulations 1999, to bring UK law into line with EU law. We have already launched a public consultation on the lifting of the ban and related issues, with the aim of ensuring that changes to EU and UK law can, as far as possible, enter into force at the same time so as to enable exports to resume at the earliest possible opportunity.
	When the export ban is lifted, the date-based export scheme will no longer be required and will automatically be discontinued.

Departmental Assets

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the 10 most valuable (a) movable and (b) immovable assets owned by her Department.

Jim Knight: The 10 most valuable moveable and immovable assets owned by the Department, including its sponsored bodies, are shown in the tables. In the main, the monetary values reflect the value of the assets as at the end of the 2004/05 financial year. The lists do not include IT systems still in the process of development.
	The Forestry Commission and British Waterways are both part of the Defra group, and each has considerable property holdings. For clarity, and to avoid these property holdings masking other major assets held by the rest of the Department, the 10 most valuable immoveable assets for the Forestry Commission and British Waterways are shown separately.
	Moveable assets:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Item Owned by: Value 
		
		
			 Research vessel (Endeavour) Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) 25,963,000 
			 IT Software—RPA Change Programme Rural Payments Agency 10,093,135 
			 RIMNET IT software Core Defra 7,733,333 
			 Animal Movement Licensing Scheme (AMLS) Database IT software Core Defra 5,179,815 
			 AATSR Environmental Satellite Core Defra 5,143,399 
			 National Scrapie Plan IT software Core Defra 5,132,416 
			 Emissions Trading Register IT software Core Defra 2,243,856 
			 CTS Platform IT software Core Defra 1,770,128 
			 LVI E-Business IT software Core Defra 1,704,565 
			 Plant and Equipment (Pumps etc)—SCADA Phase 3 British Waterways 1,482,966 
		
	
	Immoveable assets:
	
		(i) Core Defra and sponsored bodies (excluding the Forestry Commission and British Waterways)
		
			 £ 
			 Item Owned by Value 
		
		
			 Thames Barrier Environment Agency 1,120,905,685 
			 Land, buildings and laboratories at Woodham lane, Weybridge Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) 157,900,000 
			 Land, buildings and laboratories at Sand Mutton, York Central Science Laboratory (CSL) 134,721,000 
			 Land and buildings at Kew(32) Royal Botanic Gardens 54,000,000 
			 Land and buildings at Wakehurst(32) Royal Botanic Gardens 27,000,000 
			 Drayton Experimental Husbandry Farm, Stratford Core Defra 24,945,000 
			 Barking Barrier Environment Agency 16,625,154 
			 Land and buildings at Epsom Road, Guildford Core Defra 15,000,000 
			 Holehaven Barrier and Plant Environment Agency 14,417,169 
			 Weymouth Laboratory CEFAS 13,771,000 
		
	
	(32) As allowed by the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), the Royal Botanic Gardens only value land and buildings on the balance sheet that are used for fundraising or administration purposes or which have been built/restored since the SORP was revised in 2000.
	
		(ii) The Forestry Commission woodlands
		
			 £ 
			 Item Value 
		
		
			 Kielder Forest 79,570,923 
			 New Forest East 13,469,775 
			 Forest of Dean 13,027,350 
			 New Forest North 12,030,747 
			 New Forest West 10,389,039 
			 Wykeham Dalby 10,183,872 
			 Thetford South 9,478,840 
			 Thetford North 9,366,320 
			 New Forest South 7,075,221 
			 Hamsterley 4,839,984 
		
	
	
		(iii) British Waterways property
		
			 £ 
			 Item Value 
		
		
			 North Wharf Road, Paddington Basin, London [offices, residential] 40,700,000 
			 Wood Wharf Business Park, London Docklands 38,200,000 
			 The Interchange, Camden Town, London [warehouse] 21,500,000 
			 Commerce Road, Brentford [warehouses and offices] 12,000,000 
			 Cavendish House, Stockton-on-Tees 10,900,000 
			 West Ferry Printers Site, London Docklands 9,900,000 
			 Industrial premises at Rotton Park Street, Birmingham 9,500,000 
			 Willow Grange, Watford [office building] 8,200,000 
			 Gloucester Quays Re-Development site, Gloucester 7,200,000 
			 Castle Wharf, Nottingham [city centre waterside property] 7,000,000

Milk

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will discuss with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry referring the difference between the retail and farm-gate price of milk to the Office of Fair Trading; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: As I noted in my oral answer to the hon. Member for Torridge and West Devon (Mr. Cox) on 20 October 2005, Official Report, column 977, I have been discussing issues relating to competition in the dairy sector and the concerns of dairy farmers with the Department of Trade and Industry. My noble Friend, the Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food (Lord Bach) and I will be continuing those discussions when we meet with my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs (Mr. Sutcliffe) later in the year. However, except in limited exceptional circumstances, responsibility for deciding whether to carry out market studies or investigations, or to investigate alleged breaches of competition law, rests with the Office of Fair Trading, which is an independent statutory body.

Tenant Farmers

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the (a) extent and (b) effect of new agricultural tenancy agreements designed to take entitlement to single farm payments away from tenant farmers at the end of those agreements for less than the fair compensation specified within the Tenancy Reform Industry Group's code of practice.

Jim Knight: holding answer 21 November 2005
	DEFRA maintains close relationship with the industry organisations represented on the Tenancy Reform Industry Group (TRIG), in particular the Tenant Farmers Association, National Farmers Union and the Country Land and Business Association. Feedback from members of the Group, and other sources, suggests that TRIG guidance "notes to aid tenants and landlords on CAP reform" has proved effective, in the majority of cases, in helping both parties reach amicable arrangements in respect of the new Single Payment Scheme, but there have also been reports of arrangements which have left one party or the other feeling aggrieved.
	Coventry university is currently undertaking research on behalf of DEFRA, on the impacts of CAP reform on the diversification activities of tenant farmers in England. While the research is intended primarily to focus on the effect of CAP reform in opening up opportunities for farm diversification by tenant farmers, the specification for the project also covers investigation of the wider impact of CAP reform on the landlord/tenant relationship.

Buses

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) disabled people and (b) young people used buses in England in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement.

Karen Buck: Data on bus use by disabled people is not available. Data from the National Travel Survey on trips per person per year by local bus in 2004 for people up to the age of 20 is given in the table as follows.
	
		Average number of bus trips per person per year, 2004
		
			 Age Trips per person per year 
		
		
			 0–10 years 30 
			 11–16 years 116 
			 17–20 years 138

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on advertising at the Argentina versus England football match held in Geneva on 12 November.

Stephen Ladyman: This advertisement was part of a continuing campaign to improve the accuracy of DVLA's records by encouraging the public to notify changes in details. The advertisement cost £45,000 for five minutes exposure. The estimated television audience was in excess of £10 million.

Railways

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much public subsidy First Great Western Trains Ltd. has received in each year since 1997; how much has been awarded against the company in penalties in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Great Western Trains Company Limited has received the cash subsidy and penalties set out in the following table for the years ending 31 March.
	
		
			million 
			  Subsidy Penalty 
		
		
			 1997 61.9  
			 1998 58.9  
			 1999 53.3 (2.5) 
			 2000 48.6 (2.2) 
			 2001 42.8 (2.0) 
			 2002 27.6 (5.4) 
			 2003 8.7 (2.6) 
			 2004 16.1 (2.0) 
			 2005 (17.6) (1.1)

Railways

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail carriages were (a) in operation and (b) replaced in the United Kingdom in each year between 1994 and 2004.

Derek Twigg: It is not possible to provide this information on a year-by-year basis between 1994 and 2004. The number of vehicles, on lease at the sale of the Rolling Stock Leasing Companies recorded in the invitation to tender in March 1995, was 10,401 vehicles. The number of vehicles on lease now is approximately 11,000 vehicles. This includes additional vehicles required for growth which were included as replacement for Mark 1 stock on the Southern TOCs and additional rolling stock which has been required to reflect increases in passenger numbers. The number of new vehicles which have been ordered and entered service are set out as follows:
	
		
			  New vehicles entering service 
		
		
			 1996 0 
			 1997 0 
			 1998 20 
			 1999 153 
			 2000 229 
			 2001 602 
			 2002 619 
			 2003 658 
			 2004 1,282 
			 2005 6,471 
		
	
	(33) This is the position at Quarter 3 2005

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that action to recover a tax credit debt when a couple split up and there is no ongoing award does not fall only on the member of the couple with continuing care of the child.

Des Browne: This is already the case. code of practice 26 What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit? sets out what happens where an award has ceased following the break-up of a couple and there remains an overpayment to be repaid.

Tax Credits

Vera Baird: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria are used to determine the level of weekly instalments for the repayment of overpaid tax credits.

Des Browne: Code of Practice 26 What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?, sets out the maximum amounts by which the tax credits office will reduce payments to recover overpaid tax credits from a previous year.
	For ceased tax credits awards, recovery can be made over a 12 month period. Alternatively, a repayment plan may be agreed with HMRC's debt management and banking and the factors that will be taken into account are published in the COP26.

Consumer Credit Directive

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Department has conducted cost impact assessments in relation to the proposed EU consumer credit directive.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Department of Trade and Industry produced a partial regulatory impact assessment on the European Commission's October 2004 proposal for a consumer credit directive as part of its consultation on the proposed directive published on 25 February this year (http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/consultpdf/creditdircondoc.pdf). Copies of the consultation document and a summary of responses (http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/ consultpdf/creditdirresponse.pdf) have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. The Department will update its impact assessment in the light of the Commission's modified proposal, adopted on 7 October, and input from stakeholders.

Obesity

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if he will assess the likely impact of obesity on productivity in (a) the next 12 months and (b) the next 10 years;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact of obesity on productivity in the UK in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	In its report of 10 May 2004, The House of Commons Health Committee estimated that lost production through obesity related time off work was running at an annual rate of 1.3 billion to 1.45 billion. This estimate is an update of a National Audit Office Report, Tackling Obesity in England published in 2001, which puts this figure at 1.3 billion in 1998. In addition, there will be production losses through inability to work associated with illness brought on by obesity.
	Obesity is on a rising trend. The National Audit Office predicts that by 2010 prevalence will have risen to 26 per cent. to 28 per cent. of the adult population. It is likely that the impact on productivity will increase in step but no quantified forecast has been made of the prevalence of obesity or of its productivity effects.

Post Office

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many post offices have closed in East Anglia since 2001; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many post offices have closed in each of the last five years, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked, the chief executive of POL, to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.

Regional Development Agencies

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff each Regional Development Agency employs; what the total salary bill was of each agency in the last year for which figures are available; what the average salary per employee was in each region; and what the average staff salary per thousand head of population was in each region.

Alun Michael: holding answer 21 November 2005
	The following information is set out according to the RDA's annual reports for year ending 31 March 2004.
	
		
			  Number of staff Total salary bill (000) Average salary Mid year population estimate for 20041 Proportion of staff salary per 1,000 head of population () 
		
		
			 AWM 308 14,901 48,380 5,334,000 2,794 
			 EEDA 159 7,403 46,560 5,491,300 1,348 
			 EMDA 210 7,352 35,010 4,279,700 1,718 
			 LDA 303 12,196 40,251 7,429,200 1,642 
			 NWDA 377 16,125 42,772 6,827,200 2,362 
			 ONE 376 13,147 34,965 2,545,100 5,166 
			 SEEDA 335 13,391 39,973 8,110,200 1,651 
			 SWRDA 259 9,720 37,529 5,038,200 1,929 
			 YF 351 12,989 37,006 5,038,800 2,578 
		
	
	(34) Source: Mid-year Population Estimates: Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Armed Services (Recruitment)

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the result was of his review of the documentation (a) setting out the rights and responsibilities of recruits to the armed services and (b) explaining the nature of commitment they are undertaking; and if he will place a copy of that documentation in the Library.

Don Touhig: There are a number of publications that highlight to prospective applicants their rights while joining or serving in the armed forces:
	Each naval service recruit signs a RN form which details the branch in which the recruit is entered, and the terms of the 'engagement'. Notice periods for voluntary discharge and grounds for compulsory discharge are listed.
	The Army are currently in the process of producing a publication aimed at parents/guardians which aims to answer concerns in relation to young recruits joining the Army. The publication is due to be available by the end of March 2006. Also, job profiles given to new recruits explain the nature of their employment group in operations.
	Twice during the inquiry/application process, RAF applicants receive a RAF form which sets out the terms and conditions of enlistment, their right to terminate their service and a statement that they may be required to serve worldwide.
	The Tri-Service AFCO Form 5, Application Form Information and Guidance Booklet, outlines the armed forces attitude towards bullying and harassment and the areas in which the service way of life differs from that of civilian society. These messages are reinforced during armed forces recruiting presentations which are open to applicants and their parents/guardians.
	These publications are kept under constant review.

Married Quarters

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's disposal targets are for married quarters estate stock in each of the next three years.

Don Touhig: The table illustrates current planned disposals of the Ministry of Defence married quarters estate for each of the next three years. Further properties are likely to be identified for disposal as part of the continual review of service families accommodation requirements and rationalisation of the estate but it is too early to say how many.
	Under a land agreement, 21 married quarters will be handed to the Gibraltar Government in 200607 and 44 in 200708. An additional 54 will be demolished during the period 2006 to 2009.
	
		
			  Number by sale (financial year) 
			 Country 200607 200708 200809 
		
		
			 England, Scotland, Wales (35)568 (36)149 (36)221 
			 Northern Ireland 0 339 0 
			 Ascension/Falkland Islands 0 0 0 
			 Cyprus 0 0 0 
		
	
	(35) Of which 488 will be handed back to Annington Homes Ltd (AHL).
	(36) AHL hand backs.

Special Advisers

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the special advisers in post in his Department, broken down by pay band; and what the total budgeted cost to his Department of special advisers is for 200506.

Don Touhig: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1256W, by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Jim Murphy) to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning).
	Information relating to costs of special advisers for 200506 will be published after the end of the current financial year.

Departmental Skills Development Plan

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Skills Development Plan.

David Cairns: All the staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA).
	Copies of the DCA Departmental Skills Development Plan 200409 and the 2005 update to the plan have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The Lifelong Learning Strategy for Scotland was published in February 2003. It can be accessed using the following link; http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/lifelong/llsm-00.asp.
	As referred to in this document, the Scottish Executive learning strategy sets out how the Executive plans to support its people through learning. This document is available internally through the Executive's intranet.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent in each year from 1 May 1997 on ministerial travel, broken down by (a) provision and running costs of vehicular transport, (b) first-class travel by rail, (c) standard class travel by rail, (d) first-class travel by air, (e) club or equivalent class travel by air and (f) economy class travel by air.

David Lammy: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	(a) My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet Office (Mr. Murphy) has asked Roy Burke, chief executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) to write to the hon. Member with details of the costs of ministerial vehicles provided to Departments in 200405. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library.
	For information for the financial years 200001 to 200304 I refer the hon. Members to the letters from the chief executive of the GCDA to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) dated 10 January 2005 and to the then hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Howard Flight) dated 13 September 2003. Copies of these letters are available in the Library.
	(b) and (c) The detailed information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	(d) In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an
	annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information for the financial years 199506 to 200405. Information for 200506 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the current financial year.

Age Discrimination (Housing)

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to prevent minimum age restriction covenants in relation to housing.

Yvette Cooper: Some local authorities set minimum age restrictions for example on sheltered accommodation. We have no plans to prohibit such restrictions. However, local authorities do need to ensure that any restrictions do not restrict:
	access to social housing for certain categories of applicants, or
	the authority's ability to ensure that reasonable preference for social housing goes to those in the statutory reasonable preference categories.

Fire Control Rooms

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister under what legal authority his Department proposes to (a) establish regional fire control rooms and (b) contract with the private sector for the provision of fire control rooms.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 22 November 2005
	There are powers in section 29 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 that provide the necessary authority. Development agreements for the construction of the new control centres were concluded using these powers. The single technology/infrastructure services procurement is being conducted under the same powers. The responsibility for operating the control centres will however remain in public sector. Each control centre will be run a local authority company, owned by the relevant fire and rescue authorities.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies (a) which the Government are required to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) whose advice the Government are required to publish.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister currently sponsors four advisory non- departmental public bodies:
	the Advisory Panel on the Beacon Scheme;
	the Advisory Panel on Standards in the Planning Inspectorate;
	the Building Regulations Advisory Committee; and
	the National Community Forum.
	For (a), the only one of these bodies that the Government are required to consult prior to the introduction of new legislation is the Building Regulations Advisory Committee for proposals on building regulations under Section 14(3) of the Building Act 1984. For (b) ? the Government are not required to publish advice provided by any of the bodies.

Special Advisers

John Hemming: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the special advisers in post in his Office, broken down by pay band; and what the total budgeted cost to his Department of special advisers is for 200506.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for East Renfrewshire (Mr. Murphy) to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) on 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1257W.
	Information relating to costs for 200506 will be published after the end of the current financial year.

Consultants/Special Advisers

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list departmental projects conducted by consultants in each year since 2000; what the cost was in each case; and what the total cost of employing consultants was in each year.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999, and since then the follow projects were conducted by consultants:
	20000116,294 was spent to design the Wales Office logo and website.
	20010231, 084 was spent on reviews of staff and management systems and lawyer's fees.
	20020310,758 was spent on lawyer's fees.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent in each year from 1 May 1997 on ministerial travel, broken down by (a) provision and running costs of vehicular transport, (b) first-class travel by rail, (c) standard class travel by rail, (d) first-class travel by air, (e) club or equivalent class travel by air and (f) economy class travel by air.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	For information on (a) my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, (Mr. Murphy) has asked Roy Burke, chief executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) to write to the hon. Member with details of the costs of ministerial vehicles provided to Departments in 200405. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library.
	For information for the financial years 200001 to 200304, I refer the hon. Member to the letters from the chief executive of the GCDA to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) dated 10 January 2005. Also, to the then hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Howard Flight) dated 13 September 2003. Copies of these letters are available in the Library.
	
		(b) and (c): Total ministerial rail travel costs each year since 19992000
		
			   
		
		
			 19992000 35,239 
			 200001 62,121 
			 200102 84,423 
			 200203 124,035 
			 200304 67,895 
			 200405 10,568 
		
	
	Note:
	These figures can be split between first-class and standard class, only at a disproportionate cost.
	
		(d), (e) and (f): Air travel
		
			   
		
		
			 19992000 105 
			 200001 6,851 
			 200102 5,283 
			 200203 695 
			 200304 95 
			 200405 4,366 
		
	
	Note:
	These figures can be split between different classes only at a disproportionate cost.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will reply to the letter of 10 October from the hon. Member for Walsall, North regarding a school in Walsall, North constituency.

Jacqui Smith: I responded to the hon. Member's letter on 22 November.

Education White Paper

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what financial allocation the Department plans to make to the improvement of school transport under the provisions of the White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All.

Jacqui Smith: The White Paper proposes legislation to improve home to school travel and transport arrangements in three main respects:
	By placing a general duty on local authorities to support choice and flexibility of educational provision, to assess the travel and transport needs of all pupils, and promote safe and sustainable travel to school;
	By extending entitlement to free home to school transport for low income families (for secondary aged pupils to any one of the three nearest suitable schools, where the distance travelled is between two and six miles; and for primary aged pupils aged over eight, to their nearest school where this is more than two miles from their home); and
	By enabling a small number of local authorities to propose Pathfinder schemes to test innovative approaches to home to school transport to support school choice, reduce the distances pupils are expected to walk to school, and increase the proportion of pupils travelling by sustainable means.
	The estimated cost of the new general duty is 4 million per annum; the extension of entitlement for low income families is estimated to be 40 million per annum; and the Department will support Pathfinder schemes with 4 million pump priming and annual revenue support building up over several years to 12 million. Full costings and related assumptions will be included in the Regulatory Impact Assessment that will accompany the Bill.

Epilepsy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what boarding capacity is available in state schools for children suffering from serious epilepsy; and what plans she has to increase such capacity.

Maria Eagle: There are currently 34 maintained boarding schools in England, educating approx 32,500 pupils of which 4,500 are boarders. Maintained boarding schools do not offer specific provision for children with epilepsy. The circumstances of each applicant with epilepsy are considered on an individual basis.
	It is for local authorities to decide the pattern of school provision in their area in meeting their duty to secure sufficient schools to meet the needs of children in their area.
	Epilepsy is a medical condition and for some children may have implications for the way they function in school. In March 2004 the Department, with the Department of Health, published Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings to provide guidance on supporting children with medical needs, sets out a clear framework within which local authorities, NHS Primary Care Trusts, schools, early years settings and families are able to work together to develop policies to ensure that children requiring medicines receive the support they need. It contains specific guidance on epilepsy.

Higher Education

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what percentage of people aged 18 to 30 years entered higher education in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003, (d) 2004 and (e) 2005;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the non-completion rate in higher education in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003, (d) 2004 and (e) 2005.

Bill Rammell: The latest available figures are shown in the tables. The percentage of people aged 17 to 30 years entering higher education in 2004 will be published in April 2006; projected non-completion rates for students starting courses in 2003 will be published in July 2006. The figures in the tables show that, since 1999/2000, participation rates have risen and non-completion rates have fallen. Figures published in 2005 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that in 2003 the UK had one of the lowest non-completion rates among OECD countries.
	
		Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) for English domiciled first degree entrants (full-time and part-time) to higher education courses from 1999/2000 to 2003/04
		
			 Students starting courses in: Percentage of 17 to 30-year-olds entering HE 
		
		
			 1999/2000 41 
			 2000/01 42 
			 2001/02 42 
			 2002/03 43 
			 2003/04 43 
		
	
	Source:
	DfES National Statistics Statistical First Release 14/2005, Participation Rates in Higher Education: Academic Years 1999/20002003/2004 (Provisional). Calculations are based on data provided by HESA and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).
	
		Percentage of UK domiciled full-time first degree starters expected neither to obtain an award nor transfer, UK higher education institutions 1999/2000 to 2002/03
		
			 Students starting courses in: Projected non-completion rate 
		
		
			 1999/2000 15.9 
			 2000/01 15.0 
			 2001/02 14.1 
			 2002/03 14.4 
			 2003/04 n/a 
		
	
	n/anot available.
	Source:
	Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA. For 2002/03, the projected outcomes summarise the pattern of movements of students at institutions between 2002/03 and 2003/04 and give the outcomes that would have been expected from starters in 2002/03 if progression patterns for the years after 2003/04 were to remain unchanged. The HESA data show the proportion of entrants who are projected to: obtain a qualification (either a first degree or another undergraduate award); transfer to another HEI; neither obtain a qualification nor transfer (i.e. fail to complete the course).

IT Projects

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of the IT projects costing over 1 million in use in her Department and introduced since 1997 have been scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee; and if she will list them.

Maria Eagle: One onlythe Individual Learning Account (ILA) Programme 1 .
	1 House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts (2003), Individual Learning Accounts, Tenth Report of Session 200203 (Ref: HC 544), ISO, London.

Parental Rights

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to ensure the rights of fathers are considered in legal disputes concerning parental rights; and what assessment she has made of the extent to which the current system considers the rights of fathers.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 10 November 2005
	The Government's position is that the needs of children, and not the rights of parents, should be at the heart of the law. The courts are required to have the welfare of the child as their paramount consideration in determining any question in relation to their upbringing. This paramountcy principle is focused on the child, and there is no legal bias toward or against either parent.
	The Government take very seriously the need to support both parents in seeking to know and love their children, and we believe firmly that it is normally in the child's best interest to have a meaningful relationship with both parents.
	Following on from the parental separation Green Paper, Making Contact Work, we are introducing a raft of measures to support parents and children, both in legal disputes and in avoiding those disputes in the first place, through rolling out in-court conciliation, revising and updating parenting plans, launching a telephone helpline later this year, making new arrangements to incentivise solicitors to promote successful out-of-court contact settlements and increasing the availability of child contact centres.
	On the more technical matter of parental responsibility (PR), fathers who have PR for their children have exactly the same level of rights and responsibilities as any other party with PR. We introduced new provisions to allow fathers to register as a child's parent through the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
	Anyone with parental responsibility has all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property, including being consulted over important changes in the child's life, such as a change of name or taking the child abroad for longer than one month, and being entitled to information about the child such as school reports.

Schools

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children have started primary schools in West Sussex in each of the last 10 years; and what her projections are for the next five years.

Jacqui Smith: The requested time series is not available due to changes in the way that information is collected on new admissions to primary schools. The table shows the number of four and five-year-olds in maintained primary schools in West Sussex from 1996 to 2005.
	The Department does not produce projections of numbers of pupils starting schools in individual local authorities. The Department has recently released pupil number projections at local authority level for 2006 and 2007 which it plans to use in setting authorities' Dedicated Schools Grant guaranteed units of funding. These projections are for all children aged three to 15 funded by authorities. They can be seen at the following address: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=9224
	
		Maintained primary schools: number of pupils aged four and five1. Position in January each year. West Sussex local authority
		
			  Pupils aged: 
			  Four Five 
		
		
			 1996 5,990 8,470 
			 1997 6,120 8.510 
			 1998 7,850 8,580 
			 1999 8,060 8,250 
			 2000 7.930 8,430 
			 2001 7,900 8,190 
			 2002 7.970 8,100 
			 2003 7,970 8,160 
			 2004 7,870 8,100 
			 2005 7,760 8,020 
		
	
	(37) Age as at 31 August the previous year.
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Schools

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) classroom assistants and (b) full-time equivalent classroom assistant posts there were in schools in Hemel Hempstead constituency in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants in maintained sector schools, including pupil referral units, in Hemel Hempstead constituency in January of each year.
	The number of full-time equivalent teaching assistant posts in Hemel Hempstead is not collected centrally.
	
		Full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants(38) in maintained sector schools(39), including pupil referral units, in Hemel Hempstead constituency
		
			  Teaching assistants FTE 
		
		
			 1997 100 
			 1998 130 
			 1999 140 
			 2000 180 
			 2001(40) 220 
			 2002 180 
			 2003 290 
			 2004 300 
			 2005 340 
		
	
	(38) Includes teaching assistants, special needs support staff and ethnic minority support staff.
	(39) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	(40) Data for 2001 may be affected by misclassification of support staff roles following major changes to information systems.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual School Census

Special Educational Needs

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils are in special needs schools in Surrey; how many pupils with special educational needs are in mainstream schools in Surrey; and how many special needs schools have (a) opened and (b) closed in Surrey since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		All special schools: number of pupils (41)Surrey local authority area
		
			 January 2005 Total pupils 
		
		
			 Maintained special 1,928 
			 Non-maintained special 538 
		
	
	(41) Excludes dually registered pupils
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census
	
		Mainstream schools: number of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) by type of schoolJanuary 2005
		
			 Surrey local authority area  
		
		
			 Nursery  
			 Pupils on roll 348 
			 Pupils with statements 12 
			 % Pupils with statements 3.4 
			 Pupils with SEN without a statement 60 
			 % Pupils with SEN without a statement 17.2 
			 Primary  
			 Pupils on roll 78,780 
			 Pupils with statements 1,682 
			 % Pupils with statements 2.1 
			 Pupils with SEN without a statement 13,128 
			 % Pupils with SEN without a statement 16.7 
			 Secondary  
			 Pupils on roll 59,361 
			 Pupils with statements 1,252 
			 % Pupils with statements 2.1 
			 Pupils with SEN without a statement 9,051 
			 % Pupils with SEN without a statement 15.2 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census
	Since 1997, there has been one non-maintained special school which has opened and one maintained special school has closed in Surrey local authority area.
	Source:
	Edubase

Alcohol-related Illnesses

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under the age of 30 years in the area corresponding most closely to Lancaster and Wyre constituency were treated for alcohol-related illnesses (a) in the last 12 months and (b) in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Information is not held centrally on a constituency basis. The most current information available is shown in the following table.
	Count of finished consultant episodes for selected alcohol related diseases in Lancaster and Wyre national health service hospitals, 199798 to 200304
	
		Count of finished consultant episodes for selected alcohol related diseases in Lancaster and Wyre national health service hospitals, 199798 to 200304
		
			  Finished consultant episodes 
		
		
			 199798 41 
			 199899 39 
			 19992000 39 
			 200001 42 
			 200102 57 
			 200203 76 
			 200304 39 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Finished consultant episode (FCE):
	A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.
	2. Diagnosis (primary diagnosis):
	The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14, seven prior to 200203, diagnosis fields in the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	Alcohol related diseases defined as following ICD-10 codes recorded in primary diagnosis:
	F10: Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol
	K70: Alcoholic liver disease
	T51: Toxic effect of alcohol
	3. Ungrossed Data:
	Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Medical Staff (Hertfordshire)

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accident and emergency (a) consultants, (b) middle grade doctors, (c) junior doctors and (d) nursing staff were employed by the West Hertfordshire NHS trust at 31 March (i) 2002, (ii) 2003, (iii) 2004 and (iv) 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The following table shows the number of hospital, public health medicine and community health services, medical staff employed by West Hertfordshire hospital national health service trust within the accident and emergency (A and E) medicine specialty by grade and year. It is not possible to identify A and E nurses separately.
	
		Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) medical staff employed by West Hertfordshire hospitals NHS trust within the A and E medicine specialty by grade and year(42)
		
			 Number (headcount) 
			  2002 2003 2004 2005(43) 
		
		
			 All staff 26 29 33 (44) 
			 Of which: 
			 Consultant 6 5 4 6 
			 Non-consultant career grade staff 4 4 2 (44) 
			 Doctors in training and equivalents(45) 15 18 26 (44) 
			 Other staff 1 2 1 (44) 
		
	
	(42) All data as at 30 September each year, except for 2005 where data as at 30 June.
	(43) Data for June 2005 is taken from the Medical and Dental Workforce Mini Census which collected consultants only.
	(44) Denotes not available.
	(45) Doctors in training and equivalents (previously known as junior doctors) includes the registrar group, senior house officer, house officer and other staff working at equivalent grades that are not in an educationally approved post.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre medical and dental workforce census.

Mental Health

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was budgeted for (a) talking therapies and (b) drugs for the treatment of mental health patients in the last year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: None of the latest round of allocations made to primary care trusts (PCTs) for 200304 to 200506 has been identified for specific purposes. It is for PCTs, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how to use the funds allocated to them to meet the health care needs of their populations.
	The 200405 National Survey of Investment in Mental Health Services reported that in 200405 planned investment by adult mental health service providers on psychological therapy services was 141,378,000. The survey did not capture planned investment on prescription costs. It is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/52/96/04115296.pdf

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many black and ethnic minority mental health services she expects to participate in the race equality impact assessment for the draft Mental Health Bill;
	(2)  what community involvement there has been in arranging the community consultation as part of the race equality impact assessment for the draft Mental Health Bill;
	(3)  on what date the race equality impact assessment for the draft Mental Health Bill began;
	(4)  whether the Department has followed the Commission for Racial Equality guidelines in the race equality impact assessment for the draft Mental Health Bill.

Rosie Winterton: A formal race equality impact assessment (REIA) on the Mental Health Bill began at the end of 2004. Prior to this, the Bill and the preceding Green Paper received a wide consultation over a period of four years with various parties including black and minority ethnic (BME) stakeholders.
	Officials conducted a series of roadshows after the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill in September 2004, at which BME communities and stakeholder groups participated. The pre-legislative scrutiny committee also received substantial written and oral evidence from BME stakeholders.
	We have also published our action plan to tackle racial discrimination in mental health services Delivering Race Equality, January 2005, which also covered our response to the David Bennett inquiry. These factors have influenced our decision to re-examine the concerns expressed by BME stakeholders about the Bill, and to our carrying out a formal REIA on the Bill before its introduction, in accordance with current race relations legislation. We have had close regard to the Commission for Racial Equality's (CRE's) guidance in undertaking the REIA, and Officials met with the CRE to discuss our approach.
	As an initial part of the process we planned a series of regional meetings with service users and carers from the BME stakeholder community this spring. These events were cancelled when the general election was called. However, we have since established an advisory group chaired by Rabinder Singh, QC, whose report we expect to receive shortly, and which will inform the REIA which is to be published with the Bill.
	The advisory group's summer workshop assessed the potential impact of the Bill. We have more recently held regional consultations attended by more than 200 people, mostly BME service users, carers and community groups. These events were organised with the help of race equality leads from the care services improvement partnership, a relatively new and powerful resource. These leads have strong and extensive links with the communities they serve, enabling events such as these to be organised quickly. Again, the outcome of these events will feed into the REIA when this is published.
	We remain confident that these processes will identify the key concerns that will enable us to respond to the REIA. We are also considering with the BME mental health network what further consultation(s) might be possible before the Bill is introduced. We will continue to engage with BME stakeholders as the Bill progresses through Parliament. We consider that it is particularly important to secure the strong engagement of BME stakeholders in developing the code of practice for the Bill, and the Bill's implementation.

MRSA

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of MRSA have been identified in hospitals within Cumbria in each year since March 2003, broken down by national health service trust.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 21 November 2005
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  North Cumbria National Health Service Trust Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust 
		
		
			 April 2003 to March 2004   
			 Number of methicillin resistant Staphylococus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia reports 22 30 
			 MRSA rate per 1,000 bed days 0.09 0.10 
			
			 April 2004 to March 2005   
			 Number of MRSA bacteraemia reports 24 30 
			 MRSA rate per 1000 bed days(46) 0.10 0.10 
		
	
	(46) Per 1,000 bed days data is provisional, as final 200405 activity data is not available.
	Note:
	Data is only collected for acute trusts.

NHS Estates

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who the chief executive of NHS Estates is; what relevant specialist qualifications he or she holds; and what the details are of his or her career to date.

Jane Kennedy: The post of chief executive of NHS Estates no longer exists. In July 2004, the Department published the report Reconfiguration of the Department of Health's Arm's Length Bodies, which outlined its programme of reducing arm's length bodies by approximately 50 per cent. One of the outcomes of the report was to abolish NHS Estates as an executive agency. The agency ceased all trading with effect from 31 July 2005 and closed on 30 September 2005.

Patient Safety

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what was the cost of the taxonomy produced by the National Patient Safety Agency to establish agreed definitions of patient safety incidents;
	(2)  for what reasons the roll-out of the National Patient Safety Agency's National Reporting and Learning System was delayed, as described in paragraph 17, page 5 of the National Audit Office report, A Safer Place for Patients;
	(3)  what steps she is taking to ensure NHS trusts report all (a) patient safety incidents and (b) near-misses;
	(4)  if she will permit the National Clinical Assessment Service to provide support to poorly performing clinicians other than doctors;
	(5)  what steps she is taking to ensure that patients are informed when a patient safety incident involving them is reported to the NHS trust in which they were treated.

Jane Kennedy: The Department welcomed the publication of the matters identified in the National Audit Office report, A safer place for patients: Learning to improve patient safety. It will be discussed in detail at a committee of public accounts hearing early in 2006. The Government will respond to the committee's subsequent report in the form of a Treasury Minute.

Primary Care Trusts

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on progress with the proposed reform of primary care trusts in London.

Jane Kennedy: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) have recently submitted their proposals for the reconfiguration of primary care trusts (PCTs), which set out how they intend to strengthen their commissioning function. The proposals for London are available from the SHA. These proposals have been assessed by an independent external panel drawn from and representing a wide range of stakeholder interests, to determine whether the SHA proposals meet the criteria stipulated in Commissioning a Patient-Led NHS (July 2005). Where the criteria are judged to have been met, the proposals will go forward to a three-month public consultation. No decisions on the reorganisation of PCTs will be taken until this process has been completed.

Carers

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of how many recipients of carers' allowance ceased to receive it on reaching pensionable age in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department arising from ceasing to pay carers' allowance to carers on reaching pensionable age, broken down by region.

Anne McGuire: The available information is in the following table.
	The rules which preclude the payment in full of more than one non-income-related benefit for income maintenance purposes are common to a wide range of benefits. Payment of carer's allowance is withdrawn from carers who receive state pension, either in full where the weekly rate of state pension exceeds the weekly rate of carer's allowance, or in part where the weekly rate of state pension is less than the weekly rate of carer's allowance. This means that carers of state pension age 1 receive at least as much by way of state benefits as they did before state pension age. They may retain entitlement to carer's allowance for so long as they continue to meet the entitlement conditions and, if they have a low income, may also be entitled to pension credit which includes an additional amount for carers, currently 25.80 per week.
	Estimates of (i) the number of people in Great Britain who ceased to be paid carer's allowance when state pension became payable to them and (ii) what the cost would have been of continuing to pay the allowance to them.
	1 State pension age is 60 for women and 65 for men.
	
		
			  12-month period ending on 31 May 
			  2004 2005 
		
		
			 Estimated number of people in the period to whom carer's allowance ceased to be paid when state pension became payable(47) 4,100 6,800 
			 Estimated cost if carer's allowance had been paid to the end of the period ( million)(48) 4.8 8.1 
		
	
	(47) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
	(48) Estimates exclude increases for adult dependants and assume that (a) the dates on which people started to receive state pension were evenly distributed throughout the period; and (b) those people would have continued to meet the entitlement conditions for carer's allowance after state pension became payable.
	Note:
	From August 2003, figures are drawn from a new 100 per cent. data source, the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). Owing to the limitations of earlier data it is not possible to provide estimates for earlier 12 month periods.
	Source:
	DWP Information DirectorateWork and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) and 100 per cent. samples.

Pension Credit

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Great Yarmouth constituency are in receipt of pension credit; how much they receive on average; what estimate he has made of the number who are eligible; and what steps he is (a) taking and (b) plans to take to encourage those who are not claiming pension credit to do so.

Stephen Timms: The average weekly pension credit payment to household recipients in Great Yarmouth as at June 2005 is 40.03. Information on numbers of households and individuals in receipt of pension credit at 30 June 2005 is contained in the most recent quarterly Pension Credit progress report published on 20 October. A copy of the report is in the Library.
	It is becoming clear that the number of people who are eligible for pension credit is somewhat less than the initial estimate. National statistics showing the number of pensioners entitled to pension credit at a national level in the first six months after its introduction and the subsequent take-up rate are expected to be available in December. Information at constituency level will not be available. The date of release of these statistics and the publication plans for the following set, covering 2004/05, will be pre-announced in National Statistics Updates; the diary of statistical releases.
	Steps are being taken to ensure that everyone who is likely to be entitled to pension credit knows what they need to do to take up their entitlement. A letter has been sent out to every pensioner household to inform them about pension credit. New marketing campaigns have been developed to target regions and demographic groups that have a low take-up of pension credit. Data-matching techniques are being used to increase the accuracy with which invitations are targeted and further contact is also being made with those households we believe to be eligible for pension credit, but who have not so far responded.
	The Pension Service's Local Service continues to work closely with local partners such as Help the Aged, Age Concern to help ensure pensioners take up their entitlements.

Pensions

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the number of single women pensioners who live below the poverty threshold.

Stephen Timms: The seventh annual Opportunity for All report (Cm 6673) sets out the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion and reports progress against a range of indicators.
	The table shows the number and percentage of single women pensioners living in households in relative and absolute low income. They show that in 200304 there were 700,000 single women pensioners living in households in relative low income, measured after housing coststhe number in relative low income has fallen by almost a half since 199607.
	
		Relative low income(49)
		
			  Number (million) Percentage 
		
		
			 After housing costs   
			 199697 1.2 37 
			 200304 0.7 21 
			
			 Before housing costs   
			 199697 0.9 26 
			 200304 0.8 24 
		
	
	(49) i.e. based on contemporary income thresholds.
	
		Absolute low income(50)
		
			  Number (million) Percentage 
		
		
			 After housing costs   
			 199697 1.2 37 
			 200304 0.3 11 
			
			 Before housing costs   
			 199697 0.9 26 
			 200304 0.4 13 
		
	
	(50) i.e. based on 199697 income thresholds held constant in real terms.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are for Great Britain.
	2. Data are from the Family Resources Survey based on HBAI methodology.

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress the UK has made in delivering capability in its lead responsibility for counter-narcotics in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: The UK, as lead nation on counter narcotics (CN), remains committed to supporting the Afghan Government in the implementation of their comprehensive 2005 CN Implementation Plan. A UK advisor is also currently working with the Ministry of Counter Narcotics Strategy Unit to update the National Drugs Control Strategy for the new five-year period. We continue to work with the Afghan Government and others to increase activity in all areas of their strategy. As well as co-ordinating the activity of international partners, we are providing substantial financial and practical support, spending over 270 million over the three financial years 200506, 200607 and 200708 on CN activity.
	Significant steps have already been taken to build Afghan capacity to tackle the drugs problem. At the end of last year, the Government of Afghanistan established the Ministry of Counter Narcotics charged with co-ordinating the fight against drugs. This year, the Ministry has organised on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan a series of high profile provincial CN jirgasmeetings of local leaders, to persuade local communities to not plant poppy this year, these meetings have taken place with the support of our ambassador in Kabul. The UK is funding a 12.5 million Institution Development project to further strengthen the Ministry of Counter Narcotics and other institutions in Afghanistan. On 29 October, a CN Trust Fund was officially launched at the Afghan Ministry of Finance. The Fund will give the Government of Afghanistan more money for CN activities and greater say over how this money is spent.
	The UK has helped to establish and provide training for the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA)the lead drugs law enforcement agency, headquartered in Kabul with seven provincial offices. The CNPA is currently around 500 strong, but will be expanded further to give it the capacity to operate nation-wide. The UK is also providing training for the Afghan Special Narcotics Force (ASNF), an elite and highly trained force equipped to tackle high value targets across the country. Since January 2004, the CNPA and ASNF have seized approximately 150 tonnes of opiates, destroyed over 264 drugs labs and made a significant number of arrests.
	We are also working with the international community to recruit and train a counter narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force of Afghan investigators, prosecutors and judges to work with the Counter Narcotics Police, to be able to push through successful drugs investigations and prosecutions. The Criminal Justice Task Force is currently around 80 strong and made its first convictions in May this year for drug trafficking in Kabul. President Karzai also signed off a decree on 25 July, to establish Counter Narcotics divisions in Kabul's primary and appeals courts with jurisdiction over the whole of Afghanistan.

Court Security

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent on security in (a) county courts, (b) magistrates courts and (c) Crown courts in each of the last five years.

Harriet Harman: The information is found in the following table.
	
		
			
			  Crown and county Magistrates 
		
		
			 200405 10,089,096 9,932,848 
			 200304 10,818,965 9,694,162 
			 200203 9,181,097 7,769,358 
			 200102 8,077,677 6,640,247 
			 200001 7,545,521 3,839,638 
		
	
	Please note the figures in the table are for pre-HMCS period and represent best available information on magistrate courts. This is because the magistrate courts, pre-HMCS, were self-autonomous organisations and were grant funded by the Department. The split between Crown and county security costs is not available.

Departmental Finance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the real terms percentage increase in allocated resources for her Department (a) was for the period 199798 to 200405 and (b) is estimated to be between 200506 and 200708 (i) for each period and (ii) for each year.

Harriet Harman: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) (i) The average annual real terms growth rate in allocated budget between 199798 and 200405 was 3.7 per cent. for Resource DEL and 16.2 per cent. for Capital DEL.
	(a) (ii) The year on year real terms change was as follows:
	
		Resource DEL
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 199899 (51)-3.4 
			 19992000 (51)3.2 
			 200001 (51)6.5 
			 200102 9.4 
			 200203 9.8 
			 200304 -2.8 
			 200405 4.3 
		
	
	(51) Cash basis.
	
		Capital DEL
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 199899 -10.7 
			 19992000 -39.4 
			 200001 68.2 
			 200102 22.4 
			 200203 23.4 
			 200304 65.3 
			 200405 25.8 
		
	
	(b) (i) The average annual real growth rate in allocated budget between 200506 and 200708 is -1.7 per cent. for Resource DEL and -10.7 per cent. for Capital DEL.
	(b) (ii) The year on year real terms change is as follows:
	
		Resource DEL
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 200607 -2.0 
			 200708 -1.4 
		
	
	
		Capital DEL
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 200607 -23.0 
			 200708 3.5

Forgery Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged and (ii) convicted in England and Wales of offences under sections (A) 34 and (B) 36 of the Forgery Act 1861 in each year since 1984.

Fiona Mactaggart: Statistics on the number of persons charged with a crime are not centrally collected.
	Data collected on the Home Office Court Proceedings database for offences under the Forgery Act 1861 are in paper format prior to 2003. As these records need to be manually analysed, sample years have be selected and are shown in the table. The number of convictions under S34 of the Forgery Act 1861 'Acknowledge bail in false name' is contained in the table for years 1992, 1997, 200204. There were no convictions under S36 of the Act 'Destroying, injuring, forging or falsifying registers of births, baptisms, marriages, deaths or burials or certified copies'.
	Paper records prior to 1992 are no longer available.
	
		Number of males and females convicted at all courts under S.34 Forgery Act 1861 in England and Wales, 1992, 1997, 200204(52)
		
			 Offence: Acknowledge bail in false name 
			 Statute: Forgery Act 1861 S.34 
			  Found guilty 
			  Male Female 
		
		
			 1992 20  
			 1997 13  
			 2002 9 3 
			 2003 16 2 
			 2004 7 1 
		
	
	(52) These data are on the principal offence basis
	Court statistics for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.

Murder

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were successfully prosecuted for murder, where they were judged to have been provoked (a) between 1996 and 2001 and (b) since 2001.

Fiona Mactaggart: The available information from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of successful prosecutions for murder and manslaughter, 1996 to 2003, is contained in the table. It is not possible to identify those convictions where the defendant was judged to have been provoked, as the circumstances surrounding an offence are not centrally collected.
	
		Number of offenders found guilty at all courts for certain offences under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861(53), England and Wales 1996 to 2003
		
			  Found guilty 
			  Murder Manslaughter(54)(55) 
		
		
			 1996 257 529 
			 1997 275 541 
			 1998 256 549 
			 1999 252 484 
			 2000 261 505 
			 2001 285 565 
			 2002 324 619 
			 2003 277 561 
		
	
	(53) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(54) Covers: manslaughter, infanticide, child destruction, causing death by dangerous driving, diminished responsibility and causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs.
	(55) Found guilty figures may include those prosecutions for murder that were reduced to manslaughter.
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2004 will be published in late November.

Prisons

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what criteria life prisoners are assessed by the Parole Board for release.

Fiona Mactaggart: In considering the possible release of any tariff expired life sentence prisoner, the Parole Board is required by statute to satisfy itself that
	it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that the prisoner should be confined.
	The Parole Board makes risk assessments of life sentence prisoners against criteria contained in directions given by the Secretary of State under Section 32 (6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991. In addition, Rules made under Section 32(5) of that Act outline the procedural arrangements for the appointment of board panels to consider lifer cases and the provision of evidence. The directions and rules were amended on 1 August 2004 following changes to the release arrangements for mandatory life sentence prisoners as introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2003. My predecessor (Paul Goggins) announced those changes in a written ministerial statement on 22 July 2004. A copy of his statement is available in the Library.

Reoffending Statistics

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the rate of reoffending within (a) three years, (b) four years, (c) five years and (d) 10 years has been for prisoners released in each of the last 10 years.

Fiona Mactaggart: Actual re-offending rates are not available. Reconviction rates are a commonly used proxy and two year reconviction rates are published annually.
	The most recent data are shown in the table. Owing to the administrative costs of matching criminal histories, the results shown relate to the reconviction results for samples of offenders.
	There are no recent data on longer term reconviction rates.
	
		
			   Year of discharge(56) Percentages of prisoners reconvicted of standard list offences within two years of discharge from prison 
		
		
			 1992 51 
			 1993 53 
			 1994 56 
			 1995 58 
			 1996 57 
			 1997 58 
			 1998 59 
			 1999 59 
			 2000 N/A 
			 2001 61 
		
	
	(56) The reconviction rates are based on all those prisoners discharged in the first three months of the years shown.

Road Safety

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people received a positive breathalyser test in the Cleveland police area in each of the last five years, broken down by basic command unit.

Paul Goggins: Information from 1999 to 2003 (latest available) for Cleveland police area is given in the table. The information is collected centrally at police force area level only. Data for 2004 will be published early in 2006.
	
		Number of positive/refused screening breath tests, Cleveland 19992003(57)
		
			 Cleveland Numbers 
		
		
			 1999 800 
			 2000 800 
			 2001 800 
			 2002 800 
			 2003(57) 1,100 
		
	
	(57) Following comparisons between the number of positive breath tests requested by each police force in 2003 and the number of court proceedings drink/driving related offences, it became clear that there was under-reporting in a number of forces. As a result Cleveland court proceedings figures have been substituted for the positive breath test figure.
	Note:
	Numbers in the table have been rounded to the nearest 100.